I Can’t Stop the Loneliness -Kanashimi ga tomaranai- / ANRI

Song Introduction

• Song Title: Kanashimi ga tomaranai (Title Meaning: I Can’t Stop the Loneliness)
• Artist: Anri
• Lyricist: Chinfa Kan
• Composer: Tetsuji Hayashi
• Label: For Life Records
• Realease: November 5, 1983
• Overview: Released in December 1983, Kanashimi-ga-Tomaranai was a single that preceded Anri’s album Timely!!. Alongside “Olivia wo Kikinagara” and “CAT’S EYE,” it became one of her signature songs, showcasing her unique style within the city pop genre.

Article Sources:
Kanashimi-ga-Tomaranai – Wikipedia
ANRI – Wikipedia

About the Song & Lyrics

The lyrics of “Kanashimi ga Tomaranai” (I Can’t Stop the Loneliness) are a straightforward expression of a woman’s heartbreak, similar to “Tennessee Waltz.”

She describes how her boyfriend, whom she introduced to her friend, suddenly broke up with her. The lyrics convey the pain and sorrow of the woman as she realizes her boyfriend no longer has feelings for her.

The song’s catchy melody combined with the poignant lyrics makes it a classic city pop song. Anri’s clear and beautiful vocals have made this song beloved by many listeners.

I Can’t Stop The Loneliness
こらえ切れず
悲しみがとまらない
I Can’t Stop The Loneliness
どうしてなの
悲しみがとまらない

あなたに彼女　会わせたことを
わたし今も　悔やんでる
ふたりはシンパシィ　感じてた
昼下がりのカフェテラス

あの日電話が　
ふいに鳴ったの
あの人と　別れてと
彼女から

I Can’t Stop The Loneliness
どうしてなの
悲しみがとまらない

悲しみがとまらない / 杏里より

*Translation (Unformal)
I Can’t Stop the Loneliness
The pain is unbearable
I can’t stop the loneliness
Why won’t it cease?

I regret introducing you two
You felt a connection that day
In that afternoon cafe

The phone call came so suddenly
She said she’d broken up with you

I Can’t Stop The Loneliness
Why won’t the sadness stop?

from “I Can’t Stop the Loneliness” / Anri

Song Video

Artist Introduction

• Artist: Anri (also known as ANRI)
• Real Name: Eiko Kawashima
• Date of Birth: August 31, 1961
• Place of Birth: Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
• Official Website: ANRI

Artist Trails

Anri has loved music since childhood and began learning the piano.
Growing up listening to various kinds of music, she was particularly influenced by folk, new music, and Western songs, which later became the foundation of her musical style.

In 1978, at the age of 17 and still a high school student, she made her debut with the song “Listening to Olivia,” though it did not become a major hit at the time.

In 1983, the theme song “CAT’S EYE” for the anime Cat’s Eye became a huge hit, reaching number one on the Oricon charts, and her name suddenly became well-known.

Following this, her song “Can’t Stop the Loneliness” also became a consecutive hit, solidifying her status as a popular singer in Japan’s music scene.

During this period, she released many songs with themes of summer and the sea, further shaping her musical style. Albums such as Timely!! and Bi・Ki・Ni released in 1983 were filled with songs that evoked summer landscapes and gained popularity among young people at the time.

Her music came to be classified as a genre called “city pop” and was cherished as stylish, urban music.

Starting in 1987, driven by a strong desire to express her own feelings more directly in her music, she began composing her own songs and producing her own music.

This led to the creation of various styles, including danceable tracks and emotional ballads.

She also expanded her activities beyond Japan, especially drawing attention for her recording sessions in Los Angeles and collaborations with famous American artists.

Her albums CIRCUIT of RAINBOW, released in 1989, and NEUTRAL, released in 1991, were both major hits, with NEUTRAL being her only million-seller album in her career.

Singles like “Dolphin Ring,” released in 1993, were also successful, and her popularity continued to rise.

In 1994, she released a best-of album, 16th Summer Breeze, which featured primarily self-covers, and it topped the Oricon charts for two consecutive weeks. Around this time, she also began providing songs for other artists, expanding her work as a composer.

Since the 2000s, she continued her music career by moving to a new label and pursuing overseas activities. The revival of the “city pop” boom in Europe and the U.S. brought her back into the spotlight as the “Queen of City Pop.”

In the 2010s, she released albums with re-recordings of her past hits and continued collaborating with global musicians, showing her enduring love for music and continuing to inspire many fans.

Discography

• Singles (release date, title, highest Oricon Ranking)
  • 1st November 5, 1978 Listening to Olivia No.65
  • 2nd Apr 21, 1979 Mediterranean Dream No.86
  • 3rd Aug 21, 1979 Tears to the Sea
  • 4th December 21, 1979 Inspiration
  • 5th April 5, 1980 Kaze no Jelasi
  • 6th September 5, 1980 Katai Pauline
  • 7th April 21, 1981 Cotton mood
  • 8th September 21, 1981 A Foreign Affair
  • 9th Feb. 5, 1982 Can’t Sleep on Espresso
  • 10th Apr 21, 1982 Mochi American No.74
  • 11th November 21, 1982 Fly By Day
  • 12th Jun 5, 1983 Lady Sunshine
  • 13th Aug 5, 1983 CAT’S EYE No.1
  • 14th Nov 5, 1983 Sadness Can’t Stop #4
  • 15th Apr. 21, 1984 REFLECTION EP No.7
  • 16th Apr 21, 1985 16(Sixteen) BEAT No.31
  • 17th February 21, 1986 Oriental Rose No.39
  • 18th June 5, 1986 Morning Squall #51
  • 19th December 5, 1986 Trouble in Paradise
  • 20th Mar. 21, 1987 HAPPY END de Fukkarete 17 No.1
  • 21st July 22, 1987 SURF & TEARS No.27
  • 22nd July 13, 1988 SUMMER CANDLES No.16
  • 23rd December 14, 1988 Snowflake Street Corner No.12
  • 24th Feb. 14, 1991 Sweet Emotion No.13
  • 25th June 21, 1991 Back to the BASIC No.43
  • 26th Aug 21, 1991 Gently if it’s a lie No.14
  • 27th Nov 21, 1991 Last Love No.14
  • 28th June 3, 1992 LANI -Heavenly Garden- No.18
  • 29th April 7, 1993 Dolphin Ring #9
  • 30th June 17, 1994 ALL OF YOU No.27
  • 31st November 18, 1994 SHARE -Hero in the Eyes- No.47
  • January 7, 1998 SHARE Hero in the Eyes (New Vesion)
  • 32nd August 19, 1995 Legend of Love No.67
  • 33rd July 19, 1996 Wish I could go back to that summer No.50
  • 34th August 21, 1996 Another Birthday
  • 35th Aug. 21, 1997 CAT’S EYE -2000- No.47
  • 36th November 21, 1997 Future For You
  • 37th April 8, 1998 Eternity #85
  • 38th June 10, 1998 Summer Moon – No.22
  • 39th May 21, 1999 Ainaide Setsunasato
  • 40th August 22, 2001 Sunset Beach Hotel #100
  • 41st October 24, 2001 Tears in Crystal
  • 42nd July 21, 2004 Return To The Silence
  • 43rd September 28, 2005 Field of Lights
  • 44th Apr. 9, 2008 No More Sadness ~anri 30th anniversary edition~ No.99
    
• Duet singles
  • Tetsuro Oda & ANRI December 4, 2002 CANDLE LIGHT
  • ANRI with Hiroyuki Amano Nov. 5, 2003 Tenshi ha Hitomi wa Hitomi wo Kimei wo Kimei
  • Tatsuya Ishii feat. ANRI July 21, 2010 THE WAVE OF LOVE feat.
  • Peach & Apricot November 4, 2021 Watching Over You (limited distribution)
    
• Original Albums
  • 1st November 21, 1978 ANRI -apricot jam- #51
  • 2nd June 21, 1979 Feelin’ No.71
  • 3rd September 21, 1981 Peacock of Sadness
  • 4th November 21, 1982 Heaven Beach No.89
  • 5th June 5, 1983 Bi・Ki・Ni 27th
  • 6th December 5, 1983 Timely! No.1
  • 7th June 21, 1984 COOOL No.5
  • 8th June 21, 1985 WAVE No.5
  • 9th June 5, 1986 MYSTIQUE No.6
  • 10th November 21, 1986 Trouble in Paradise No.9
  • 11th May 2, 1987 SUMMER FAREWELLS No.4
  • 12th May 21, 1988 BOOGIE WOOGIE MAINLAND No.2
  • 13th May 27, 1989 CIRCUIT of RAINBOW No.1
  • 14th June 23, 1990 MIND CRUISIN’ No.1
  • 15th June 1, 1991 NEUTRAL No.2
  • 16th June 24, 1992 MOANA LANI No.3
  • 17th August 25, 1993 1/2&1/2 No.1
  • 18th July 29, 1996 Angel Whisper No.4
  • 19th October 8, 1997 TWIN SOUL No.9
  • 20th July 15, 1998 MOONLIT SUMMER TALES No.5
  • 21st June 23, 1999 EVER BLUE No.24
  • 22nd July 19, 2000 The Beach House No.20
  • 23rd October 24, 2001 My Music CD No.48
  • 24th November 2, 2005 Sol No.192
  • 25th August 19, 2015 Smooth & Groove No.52
  • 26th August 1, 2018 ANRI #38
    
• Project Albums
  • May 22, 2002 SMOOTH JAM -Aspasia
  • November 21, 2002 SMOOTH JAM -Quiet Storm
  • September 12, 2007 tears of anri
  • July 16, 2008 tears of anri 2
  • December 2, 2009 ANRI AGAIN ~Best Of Myself
  • July 10, 2013 Surf City -Cool Breeze
  • June 25, 2014 Surf & Tears
  • August 3, 2016 Melodies -Smooth & Groove
  • July 12, 2017 FUN TIME
    
• Best Albums
  • 1st November 21, 1980 Anri the Best
  • 2nd May 21, 1982 Omokiri American -I Love Popping World,Anri
  • 3rd Jul. 21, 1986 The Anri
  • 4th Nov. 21, 1987 meditation
  • 5th Jul. 21, 1988 MY FAVORITE SONGS
  • 6th Dec. 21, 1991 MY FAVORITE SONGS 2
  • 7th Jul. 8, 1994 16th Summer Breeze
  • 8th September 1, 1995 OPUS 21
  • 9th May 24, 2000 Anri The Best
  • 10th July 23, 2003 R134 OCEAN DeLIGHTS
  • 11th October 17, 2007 a day in the summer The Best from “16th Summer Breeze” and “OPUS 21
  • 12th July 6, 2011 Heart to Heart ~with you